Device for storing a transported weft thread

ABSTRACT

A weft thread is fed by transporting rollers into a narrow gap into which hair is blown so that the weft thread is moved toward the outlet of the gap over an air permeable plate which causes a fluttering movement of the weft thread so that transverse and open zigzag loops of the weft thread are formed in the gap adjacent the outlet constituting a stored length of weft thread which can be withdrawn through the outlet for picking the weft thread through a warp shed.

Waited States Patent Hanousek et a1.

[4 1 Jan.23,1973

DEVICE FOR STORING A TRANSPQRTED WEFT THREAD Inventors: Alois T H anousek, Vazany; Oldrich Kase, Brno, both of Czechoslovakia Assignee: Elitex, Zavody Textilniko Strojirenstvi, Generalni Reditel'st'vi,

Liberec, Czechoslovakia Filed: Sept. 16,.1971 Appl. No.: 176,395

Foreign Application Priority Data Sept. 18, 1970 Czechoslovakia ..6381/70 U.s. c|...... ..226/97, 28/l.6

Int. Cl. ..B65h Field of Search ..226/7, 97; 28/1.4, l.

| I IILJIIIIIIAL" 1 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,924,001 2/1960 Gundlach ..28/1 .6 3,108,352 10/1963 Haigler, Jr. et al. 3,325,906 6/1967 Franke 3,482,294 12/1969 Joly ..28/1.6

Primary Examiner--Allen N. Knowles Att0mey--Michael S. Striker 5 7 ABSTRACT 15 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures PATENTEDJAN 23 1975 SHEET 2 (IF 2 DEVICE FOR STORING A TRANSPORTEI) WEFT THREAD BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a device for storing a supply of weft thread taken of a stationary'bobbin by transporting rollers. Devices of this type are used for providing a supply of stored weft thread which can be intermittently withdrawn for the purpose of picking the weft thread through a warp shed while the weft thread is continuously fed into the device by the transporting rollers. It is known to apply suction to the outlet of the devices according to the prior art,but this arrangement has not been completely successful.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is one object of the invention to overcome the disadvantages of known devices for storing a supply of a continuously fed weft thread for intermittent withdrawal for picking operations.

Another object of the invention is to provide a compact device for this purpose which can be easily serviced.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device for storing a supply of weft thread in the form of transverse open zigzag loops.

With these objects in view, an embodiment of the invention comprises housing means including a first wall having a first surface and a second wall having a second surface confronting the first surface and forming therewith a narrow gap having an inlet for a weft thread at one end and an outlet for the weft thread at the other end of the housing means. Transporting means for feeding a weft thread through the inlet into the gap are provided, and cooperate with pressure nozzle means for blowing a stream of air into the gap and toward the air permeable wall portion and the outlet of the gap, preferably at an angle to the first and second surfaces and to the gap.

The weft thread is blown toward the outlet along the air permeable wall portion, which may be a fabric or a perforated wall, so that air is discharged through the air permeable wall portion which causes fluttering of the weft thread in the gap and successive formation of transverse open zigzag loops on the air permeable wall portion adjacent the outlet for the weft thread.

Preferably, the pressure nozzle means include a nozzle passage formed in a solid portion of the first wall andopening at an angle into the gap, and connector means connected with a blower and mounted on the I first wall spaced from the air permeable wall portion for guiding compressed air into the nozzle passage.

It is advantageous to pivotally connect the first and second walls so that the second wall, which preferable is transparent, can be tilted to a position in which the gap is fully accessible.

A rotatable cylindrical closure member is provided in the outlet, obstructing the flow of air through the outlet, while permitting the passage of a withdrawn portion of the weft thread out of the outlet between the rotating closure member and the outlet portion of one of the walls.

The novel features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its construction and its method of operation,

together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary plan view with the top wall of the device removed;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view illustrating a portion of the embodiment of FIG. 1 on an enlarged scale; and

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken on line III-III in FIG. 3.-

FIG. 5 shows the embodiment of lower portions of the supply magazine, indicating the varying density of perforations of the wall 2.

FIG. 6 shows an alternative embodiment of the wall 2 wherein perforations are substituted by a thin fabric.

FIG. 7 shows one kind of a nozzle suitable for withdrawing the weft thread deposited in loops in the supply magazine.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring now to the drawing, the housing 1 is formed by two walls 2 and 3 connected by pivot means 13 so that wall 3 can be tilted to an open position. Walls 2 3 have confronting surfaces forming a narrow gap 8 laterally bounded by two walls 5 and 6 which are secured to wall 2 by transverse bolts 7 passing through bores in walls 2, 5 and 6. The walls form an inlet la in the region of pivot means 13, and an outlet 4 at the other end of the housing 1.

Wall 2 includes a thick portion 17 with a recess 17a in which wall portion 2b is located. Wall portion 2b is continued in a wall portion 2a which has perforations 22, as best seen in FIGS. 3 and 4. Screws 18 are located in slots 17b in wall portion 17, and are threaded into bores in wall portion 2b. When screws 18 are loosened, the connected wall portions 2b and 2a can be shifted relative to wall portion 17, and then again secured for varying the cross-section of a nozzle passage 10 formed in recess between wall portions 17 and 2b. The nozzle passage 10 includes a narrow nozzle 10 opening into gap 8, and being slanted to the same, and a chamber 11 for reducing turbulence of air supplied under pressure through a connector means 12 having a portion 12a for attachment to wall portion 17, and a conduit communicating with the chambers 1 1 when the valve 12b is opened so that air under pressure can be supplied from a blower, not shown, into the nozzle passage 10 and from there into the gap 8 in a direction toward the air permeable wall portion 2a and the outlet 4. The outlet portion 2c of wall 2 has threaded bores through which adjusting screws 23 pass, as best seen in FIGS. 3 and 4. By turning of screws 23, wall 3 is slightly raised while turning about pivot means 13, so that the width of gap 8 is adjusted.

The outlet end portion of wall 3 has a transverse bearing groove 20 in which a cylindrical closure member 20 is mounted for rotation and for movement into and out of the bearing groove 19. A weft thread 9 which enters gap 8 at the inlet hand is withdrawn from outlet 4 through a guide 90 by picking means, not shown, passes under the cylindrical closure member 20 while sliding on the surface of the outlet portion 2c. The cylindrical closure member 19 obstructs the flow of air from gap 8 out of outlet 4, but permits the passage of weft thread 9.

A pair of transporting rollers 14 and 15 unwinds the weft thread 9 from a stationary bobbin l6 and feeds the same into the inlet la. The weft thread 9 may be threaded through the gap 8 while wall 3 is tilted about pivot means 13 to an open position in which the surface of wall 2 bounding gap 8 is completely accessible.

The flat slot 8, and more particularly the surface of wall 2 is bent at a transverse line 8a in the region where the perforated wall portion 2a is connected with the thick wall portion 2b, as best seen in FIG. 3. The angle between the planes of the surface portions of wall portions 2a and 2b is between and 1': 15. Consequently, the air stream flowing from nozzle passage into gap 8 is slightly deflected in the region 8a, and has a tendency to flow through the perforations 22.

As best seen in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, longitudinal air guiding grooves 21 are provided in wall 3 opposite the perforated wall portion 2a.

Instead of the perforated wall portion 2a, a tensioned air permeable fabric without projecting interlacing points, or a mesh, may be secured to wall portion 2b and 2c.

In the preferred embodiment, wall portions 2a, 2b, 2c are integral and consist of a molded synthetic plastic material provided in portion 2a with perforations 22 whose density increases toward the thick outlet portion 2c. Preferably, at least part of the wall 3 is made of a transparent material, such as organic glass, to permit observation of the weft thread 9 in the gap 8. The air guiding grooves 21 in wall 3 favorably influence the laminar flow of the air in gap 8 along the air permeable perforated wall portion 2a.

The device operates as follows:

Weft thread 9 is withdrawn from the stationary bobbin 16 and transported by the feeding and measuring rollers 14 and through the inlet la into the slot 8 in which weft thread 9 is entrained by the air flow from the oblique flat nozzle passage 10 which produces an air flow toward the outlet 4. As shown in FIG. 2, the air stream flowing out of the opening of the slanted nozzle passage 10 between walls 2, 3, 5, 6 is fan-shaped due to the fact that the marginal portions of the air flow are slowed down by the frictional contact with the lateral walls 5 and 6, while the central portions of the air stream move at a higher velocity, almost in a laminar flow. A certain drop of pressure also takes place within the slot 8, which favors the fan-shaped flow lines of the air flow discharged from nozzle passage 10. It is believed that the Coanda effect also favors the fan-shaped formation of the air stream.

The air stream flowing toward and along the perforated wall portion 2a, is mainly discharged through the perforations, since the outlet 4 is substantially closed by the cylindrical closure member 19.

The air stream causes the successive building up of transverse open zigzag loops 24 on the perforated plate 2a, as shown in FIG. 2. The successive laying of weft thread 9 in the form of open transverse zigzag loops 24 is due to the fact that, when the first transverse open loop 24'is formed adjacent the outlet 4, the yoke of loop 24 covers some of the perforations on one side of the perforated wall portion 2a so that the flowing air in gap 8 tends to escape into ambient atmosphere following the path of least resistance, namely through the free perforations at the open side of the respective first transverse open loop. Consequently, a force is exerted on the weft thread 9 in the opposite transverse direction to form the next following open loop 24 in a zigzag fashion, the second loop 24 covering the perforations 22 on the other side of the perforated wall portion 2a, and in this manner a supply of weft thread is built up in the form of transverse open zigzag loops in gap 8 mainly along the perforated wall portion 2a.

A similar phenomenon is the fluttering of a flag which transversely oscillates out of the plane into which it is blown by an air stream.

It is difficult to provide a complete theory of the result obtained by the present invention, since there exist quite a number of theories. However, as a matter of fact the transverse open zigzag loops 24 are gradually built up in the device of the present invention, so that a length of weft thread, required for a picking operation, can be periodically withdrawn from the stored supply 24 while new transverse open zigzag loops are added during continuous operation of the transporting rollers 14, 15 supplying weft thread 9 into the gap 8.

Since closure cylinder 19 closes the outlet 4 substantially, the air is discharged through the perforated wall portion 2a, while weft thread 9 moves between roller 19 and the surface of outlet end portion 20 of wall 2.

A weft thread 9 is very easily threaded into the gap 8 after wall 3 has been tilted to an open position, which does not require any special tools. A number of devices according to the invention can be assembled in a row, as shown at 1' in FIG. 2. While the weft thread is withdrawn from one device, another device can be filled with a supply of weft thread 24, as explained above.

It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or more together, may also find a useful application in other types of devices for storing a transported weft thread differing from the types described above.

While the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied in a device for storing a continuously fed weft thread in the form of transverse open zigzag loops from which the weft thread is periodically withdrawn for a picking operation, it is not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention.

Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of the present invention that others can by applying current knowledge readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features that, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this invention and, therefore, such adaptations should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning 7 and range of equivalence of the following claims.

What is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent is set forth in the appended claims.

We claim:

1. Device for storing a transported weft thread comprising housing means having two ends and including a first wall having a first surface and a second wall having a second surface confronting said first surface and forming therewith a narrow gap having an inlet for a weft thread at one end and an outlet for the weft thread at the other end of said housing means, said first wall having adjacent said outlet an air permeable wall portion with openings communicating with said gap; transporting means for feeding a weft thread through said inlet into said gap; and pressure nozzle means for blowing a stream of air into said gap and toward said air permeable wall portion and said outlet whereby the fed weft thread is blown toward said outlet along said air permeable Wall portion so that air is discharged through the same causing fluttering of said weft thread and the successive formation of transverse open zigzag loops on said air permeable wall portion adjacent said outlet.

2. Device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said first surface of said first wall has a first surface portion adjacent said inlet and second surface portion formed by said air permeable wall portion; and wherein said first and second surface portions of said first surface define an angle with each other and with said gap.

3. Device as claimed in claim 2 wherein said second surface portion forms an angle up to with a plane passing through said first surface portion.

4. Device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said pressure nozzle'means include a nozzle passage formed in said first wall and open into said gap, and connector means mounted on said first wall spaced from said air permeable wall portion for guiding compressed air into said nozzle passage.

5. Device as claimed in claim 4 wherein said nozzle passage is slanted to said first surface and said gap for directing air toward said outlet; and wherein said pressure nozzle means further include a chamber located in said thick wall portion between said nozzle passage and said connector means.

6. Device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the portion of said second surface located opposite said air permeable wall is formed with longitudinal grooves.

7 Device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said second wall has a wall portion located opposite said air permeable wall portion of said first wall, and being made of a transparent material for observation of said transverse open zigzag loops of said weft thread.

8. Device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said housing means includes pivot means connecting said first wall with said second wall so that one of said walls can be turned to an open position in which said first and second surfaces are separated and said gap is accessible.

9. Device as claimed in claim 8 wherein said second wall is turnable relative to said first wall; and including adjusting means operable in the normal operative position of said first wall to adjust the position of the same and thereby said outlet.

10. Device as claimed in claim 8 wherein said second wall is turnable about said pivot means; wherein said second wall is formed with a bearing groove in said outlet; and comprising a cylindrical closure member rotatably and movably mounted in said bearing groove and being engaged by the weft threadpassing out of said outlet between said closure member and said first Wall- 11. Device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said first and second walls have cooperating first and second outlet portions, respectively; and comprising a closure member movably mounted in said outlet portions and obstructing flow of air through said outlet while permitting withdrawal of said weft thread from said outlet between said closure member and said first outlet portion.

12. Device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said air permeable wall portion includes a perforated plate molded of a synthetic plastic material.

13. Device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said air permeable wall includes a thin fabric.

14. Device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said air permeable wall has perforations; and wherein the density of said perforation increases along said gap toward said outlet.

15. Device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said first surface of said first wall has a first surface portion adjacent said inlet and a second surface portion formed by said air permeable wall portion; wherein said first and second surface portions of said first surface define an angle with each other and with said gap; wherein said pressure nozzle means include a nozzle passage formed in said first wall and opening into said gap, and connector means mounted on said first wall spaced from said air permeable wall portion for guiding compressed air into said nozzle passage; wherein the portion of said second surface located opposite said air permeable wall is formed with longitudinal grooves; wherein said first and second walls have cooperating first and second outlet portions, respectively; and comprising a closure member movably mounted in said outlet portions and obstructing flow of air through said outlet while permitting withdrawal of said weft thread from said outlet between said closure member and said first outlet portion. 

1. Device for storing a transported weft thread comprising housing means having two ends and including a first wall having a first surface and a second wall having a second surface confronting said first surface and forming therewith a narrow gap having an inlet for a weft thread at one end and an outlet for the weft thread at the other end of said housing means, said first wall having adjacent said outlet an air permeable wall portion with openings communicating with said gap; transporting means for feeding a weft thread through said inlet into said gap; and pressure nozzle means for blowing a stream of air into said gap and toward said air permeable wall portion and said outlet whereby the fed weft thread is blown toward said outlet along said air permeable wall portion so that air is discharged through the same causing fluttering of said weft thread and the successive formation of transverse open zigzag loops on said air permeable wall portion adjacent said outlet.
 2. Device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said first surface of said first wall has a first surface portion adjacent said inlet and second surface portion formed by said air permeable wall portion; and wherein said first and second surface portions of said first surface define an angle with each other and with said gap.
 3. Device as claimed in claim 2 wherein said second surface portion forms an angle up to 15* with a plane passing through said first surface portion.
 4. Device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said pressure nozzle means include a nozzle passage formed in said first wall and open into said gap, and connector means mounted on said first wall spaced from said air permeable wall portion for guiding compressed air into said nozzle passage.
 5. Device as claimed in claim 4 wherein said nozzle passage is slanted to said first surface and said gap for directing air toward said outlet; and wherein said pressure nozzle means further include a chamber located in said thick wall portion between said nozzle passage and said connector means.
 6. Device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the portion of said second surface located opposite said air permeable wall is formed with longitudinal grooves.
 7. Device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said second wall has a wall portion located opposite said air permeable wall portion of said first wall, and being made of a transparent material for observation of said transverse open zigzag loops of said weft thread.
 8. Device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said housing means includes pivot means connecting said first wall with said second wall so that one of said walls can be turned to an open position in which said first and second surfaces are separated and said gap is accessible.
 9. Device as claimed in claim 8 wherein said second wall is turnable relative to said first wall; and including adjusting means operable in the normal operative position of said first wall to adjust the position of the same and thereby said outlet.
 10. Device as claimed in claim 8 wherein said second wall is turnable about said pivot means; wherein said second wall is formed with a bearing groove in said outlet; and comprising a cylindrical closure member rotatably and movably mounted in said bearing groove and being engaged by the weft thread passing out of said outlet between said closure member and said first wall.
 11. Device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said first and second walls have cooperating first and second outlet portions, respectively; and comprising a closure member movably mounted in said outlet portions and obstructing flow of air through said outlet while permitting withdrawal of said weft thread from said outlet between said closure member and said first outlet portion.
 12. Device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said air permeable wall portion includes a perforated plate molded of a synthetic plastic material.
 13. Device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said air permeable wall includes a thin fabric.
 14. Device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said air permeable wall has perforations; and wherein the density of said perforation increases along said gap toward said outlet.
 15. Device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said first surface of said first wall has a first surface portion adjacent said inlet and a second surface portion formed by said air permeable wall portion; wherein said first and second surface portions of said first surface define an angle with each other and with said gap; wherein said pressure nozzle means include a nozzle passage formed in said first wall and opening into said gap, and connector means mounted on said first wall spaced from said air permeable wall portion for guiding compressed air into said nozzle passage; wherein the portion of said second surface located opposite said air permeable wall is formed with longitudinal grooves; wherein said first and second walls have cooperating first and second outlet portions, respectively; and comprising a closure member movably mounted in said outlet portions and obstructing flow of air through said outlet while permitting withdrawal of said weft thread from said outlet between said closure member and said first outlet portion. 